This invention generally relates to recycling depleted consumables for printing devices and, more particularly, to printing return shipping labels for use in recycling printing device replaceable components.
Most types of printing devices are equipped with replaceable components that have a life cycle during which the replaceable components are functional. At the end of the life cycle of a replaceable component, the component must be replaced for the printing device to continue to function properly. Materials and instructions for returning and/or recycling the used replaceable component are typically included with the new replaceable component.
For example, a print cartridge is installed in a laser printer to provide toner for the printing process. As documents are printed, the toner supply is gradually depleted. When the toner supply is exhausted, the printer cannot print any further documents until the print cartridge is replaced. An owner/user of the printer must now purchase a replacement print cartridge for the printer and may choose to recycle the depleted print cartridge. Typically, the user will use a box in which the new component was packaged to pack the old component. A shipping label contained in the new component packaging may then be affixed to the box to return the old component.
There are some disadvantages to this type of system. One problem is that the box for the new replaceable component may be opened long before the new component is installed in the printer and, as a result, the shipping label is lost before the time to use it arrives.
Also, some print cartridge manufacturers and/or recyclers have more than one location to recycle used components. If so, they may want to have replaceable components from a certain geographical area returned to a certain recycling center. Although a vendor may insert different shipping labels in different component packages depending on where the component is sold, the vendor cannot guarantee an appropriate distribution of components when they are returned for recycling. Additionally, such a method is unduly burdensome on the vendor and becomes more trouble than it is worth.
There are also problems of users returning components of one brand to a manufacturer/recycler of components of another brand. For instance, if a user replaces a generic print cartridge with a genuine Hewlett-Packard print cartridge, then the user will have shipping materials to return the Hewlett-Packard print cartridge for recycling. If the user returns the generic cartridge to a Hewlett-Packard recycler, then the HP recycler may not be able to process the cartridge and, as a result, time and money are wasted.
Systems and methods are described herein for printing shipping labels for recycling printing device replaceable components.
When a printing device replaceable component is at or nearing the end of its functional life, a signal is typically generated by the printing device indicating that the replaceable component either needs to be replaced immediately or will need to be replaced in the near future. When the printing device detects the end-of-life condition of a replaceable component, certain information is obtained from the user. This is done in several ways. For example, the user may be prompted to access a web site, where the user enters the information; the user may be prompted to enter the information directly into the printing device or via a host computer connected to the printing device; the information may be automatically obtained from component memory integrated into the replaceable component; a web site address may be retrieved from component memory and accessed, etc. The information may be about the printing device (if components of certain printing devices are to be returned to certain recycling locations), or the user""s location (if component recycling locations are determined by geography), etc.
When the user accesses the web site (or after the information has been alternatively entered), information may be displayed to the user. This information could be an advertisement, recycling instructions, product information, etc.
The label may be printed before replacing the component or after replacing the component. This depends on whether or not the printing device is able to print after the signal to replace the component is received. For instance, if a fuser fails and thus renders the printing device non-operational, then the shipping label will necessarily be printed after a new fuser is installed.
In another circumstance, a low toner signal may be received. Since the printing device may function with the same toner cartridge for some time, a user may defer printing the label until the time when the user is actually prepared to replace the toner cartridge.
In one implementation, a fuser is prompted to insert special printing mediaxe2x80x94such as labelsxe2x80x94into the printing device to facilitate printing of the shipping label. Otherwise, the shipping label may be printed on plain paper and inserted into an adhesive pouch for affixing to the shipping container or taped to the shipping container, etc., for shipping.
Advantages realized by the systems and methods described herein include encouraging proper recycling of printing device replaceable components, eliminating waste associated with unused labels, saving the cost of pre-printed paper labels and discouraging users from returning replaceable components from one manufacturer to recycling centers of another manufacturer. In addition, vendors having several recycling locations can more evenly distribute replaceable components returned for recycling based on the geographic location of users or based on other user or product data. The systems and methods described herein also provide a replaceable component vendor with an opportunity to display a consumer or advertising message to users when the users access the recycling program. Finally, if a replaceable component that is returned for recycling includes component memory integrated therewith, data of specific interest to the vendor can be retrieved from the memory during the recycling process. For instance, a vendor can determine where the component was used rather than where it was obtained, etc.